The Ladder

Every ballot counted · rankings move with every vote

1. 1Martin Luther King Jr.Activists57–31831
2. 4Jesse OwensAthletes25–51711
3. 5Stanley KubrickEntertainers23–31709
4. 6John F. KennedyPresidents51–101708
5. 7Ruth Bader GinsburgStatesmen16–11679
6. 8Jackie RobinsonAthletes15–11673
7. 10Ray CharlesMusicians15–21668
8. 16Steven SpielbergEntertainers16–21654
9. 17Steve MartinEntertainers22–81653
10. 19Willie NelsonMusicians20–101646
11. 21Bill RussellAthletes12–11640
12. 23Dr. SeussWriters15–41635
13. 25Gregg PopovichAthletes18–81634
14. 29Jack NicholsonEntertainers11–11632
15. 38Rosa ParksActivists11–11627
16. 42Samuel L. JacksonEntertainers13–21624
17. 43Elvis PresleyMusicians13–31624
18. 45John GlennAstronauts13–51622
19. 47Reggie JacksonAthletes12–31618
20. 50Fred RogersIcons10–21616
21. 53Carl SaganScientists14–31613
22. 55Billy JoelMusicians10–31612
23. 56Marvin GayeMusicians12–21611
24. 57Diane KeatonEntertainers13–41610
25. 60Stephen KingWriters12–31609
26. 61Morgan FreemanEntertainers13–41609
27. 62Clint EastwoodEntertainers12–41609
28. 63Buzz AldrinAstronauts13–41609
29. 66Nolan RyanAthletes12–21607
30. 73Jonas SalkScientists10–11605
31. 74Yogi BerraAthletes17–101605
32. 76Johnny CashMusicians15–51603
33. 78Neil ArmstrongAstronauts11–31603
34. 79Malcolm XActivists9–11603
35. 83Marilyn MonroeEntertainers12–41601
36. 86Stevie NicksMusicians11–41599
37. 87Bob BarkerIcons9–31599
38. 90Rodney DangerfieldEntertainers13–51598
39. 92Sandra Day O'ConnorStatesmen11–31598
40. 97Angela DavisActivists10–31595
41. 98B.B. KingMusicians18–81595
42. 99Robert De NiroEntertainers10–31595
43. 100Bruce SpringsteenMusicians11–31595
44. 103Harrison FordEntertainers9–21595
45. 105Miles DavisMusicians13–41594
46. 109Bart StarrAthletes10–21593
47. 110Paul NewmanEntertainers9–21593
48. 115David LettermanEntertainers11–31591
49. 116Muhammad AliAthletes8–21590
50. 117Hank AaronAthletes13–51589
51. 122Bill ClintonPresidents14–61586
52. 124Joe BidenPresidents11–41586
53. 126Martin ScorseseEntertainers9–21586
54. 129Jim MorrisonMusicians13–51583
55. 130Andy WarholIcons12–51582
56. 131Paul SimonMusicians14–61582
57. 133Al PacinoEntertainers17–81581
58. 134Bob DylanMusicians10–41581
59. 137Barbara McClintockScientists12–61580
60. 138Alex TrebekIcons11–41580
61. 140Arnold PalmerAthletes11–31580
62. 141Harvey MilkActivists10–31579
63. 143George LucasEntertainers11–51579
64. 144Francis Ford CoppolaEntertainers11–51578
65. 145Pete MaravichAthletes14–61578
66. 146Willie MaysAthletes9–31578
67. 147John DenverMusicians9–31578
68. 149Sandy KoufaxAthletes10–41578
69. 156Ansel AdamsIcons8–31575
70. 157Frank SinatraMusicians12–51575
71. 159Pete RoseAthletes10–51574
72. 161Jimmy CarterPresidents9–21574
73. 163Frank RobinsonAthletes11–41574
74. 164Christopher WalkenEntertainers16–81573
75. 165Richard PryorEntertainers10–41573
76. 166Dean MartinEntertainers9–31573
77. 168Kareem Abdul-JabbarAthletes11–41572
78. 170Barbra StreisandMusicians10–51571
79. 173Jimi HendrixMusicians21–201570
80. 174Brian WilsonMusicians11–41570
81. 178Johnny CarsonEntertainers9–51569
82. 181Sally FieldEntertainers11–81568
83. 183Harper LeeWriters13–81567
84. 190Kurt VonnegutWriters11–51566
85. 191Isaac HayesMusicians18–91566
86. 193Bernie SandersStatesmen10–41565
87. 194Joe DiMaggioAthletes13–91565
88. 197Katharine HepburnEntertainers10–41564
89. 199Diana RossMusicians11–61564
90. 201Bill WalshAthletes10–61563
91. 205Muddy WatersMusicians8–31562
92. 206BaltoFolk Heroes8–31561
93. 211Joe LouisAthletes14–101560
94. 212Frank GehryIcons18–121559
95. 213Walt DisneyEntertainers13–71559
96. 215Otis ReddingMusicians8–31559
97. 216Larry DavidEntertainers9–41559
98. 223Ralph EllisonWriters11–51557
99. 225Charles SchulzIcons11–81557
100. 226Jim HensonEntertainers10–41557
101. 227Wally SchirraAstronauts16–71557
102. 228Leonard NimoyEntertainers12–61556
103. 231Jim BrownAthletes9–41556
104. 234Ernie BanksAthletes12–71555
105. 239Langston HughesWriters8–61554
106. 240Danny DeVitoEntertainers9–51553
107. 242John WilliamsMusicians7–41552
108. 244Mel BrooksEntertainers14–101552
109. 253Michael CollinsAstronauts11–81550
110. 254Thurgood MarshallStatesmen7–31550
111. 260Aretha FranklinMusicians11–61548
112. 261J.D. SalingerWriters12–61548
113. 262Alan ShepardAstronauts9–41548
114. 263Joe NamathAthletes10–61547
115. 266Barbara WaltersIcons10–61547
116. 267Mickey MantleAthletes9–41546
117. 272Madeleine AlbrightStatesmen9–51546
118. 274Vince LombardiAthletes8–41545
119. 275Ted DansonEntertainers15–101545
120. 276Lyndon B. JohnsonPresidents10–51545
121. 277Robert NoyceScientists7–41545
122. 279Jeff BridgesEntertainers10–61545
123. 282Elgin BaylorAthletes8–41544
124. 284George ForemanAthletes9–51544
125. 287Jack NicklausAthletes13–91543
126. 291Jerry WestAthletes9–61542
127. 293Bruce LeeEntertainers8–51542
128. 303Roberto ClementeAthletes8–41540
129. 304George W. BushPresidents8–61540
130. 307Shirley TempleEntertainers10–91540
131. 313Sam CookeMusicians12–81539
132. 316Ray BradburyWriters8–51538
133. 319Sigourney WeaverEntertainers8–61538
134. 321Michael CrichtonWriters8–51537
135. 323Rick JamesMusicians7–51537
136. 325Sidney PoitierEntertainers7–51537
137. 326Bobby JonesAthletes8–61537
138. 328Mike DitkaAthletes9–61536
139. 330Medgar EversActivists9–61536
140. 334Count BasieMusicians10–71535
141. 335Ted WilliamsAthletes8–51535
142. 336Lou GehrigAthletes27–441535
143. 337John WayneEntertainers8–51535
144. 338Wilt ChamberlainAthletes12–81535
145. 339Al GoreStatesmen7–51535
146. 342Nina SimoneMusicians10–81534
147. 346Phil JacksonAthletes11–61533
148. 347Pat SajakIcons25–391533
149. 350Frank AbagnaleOutlaws11–91533
150. 351Colin PowellStatesmen10–61533
151. 356Louis ArmstrongMusicians7–61531
152. 358Walter CronkiteIcons12–81530
153. 362Joan RiversEntertainers8–61529
154. 363Toni MorrisonWriters7–41529
155. 365Regis PhilbinIcons7–51529
156. 366Betty WhiteEntertainers6–41529
157. 367Octavia ButlerWriters7–41529
158. 371Lou ReedMusicians8–61529
159. 376Dolly PartonMusicians15–131528
160. 381Jesse JacksonActivists8–61527
161. 384Bobby FischerAthletes10–71526
162. 387Dorothy VaughanScientists7–51526
163. 388Phil KnightMoguls13–101526
164. 390Maya AngelouWriters6–41525
165. 393Buddy HollyMusicians10–91524
166. 397Ella FitzgeraldMusicians12–91524
167. 400James BaldwinWriters7–51523
168. 403Coach KAthletes7–51523
169. 407Art GarfunkelMusicians10–81522
170. 409George CarlinEntertainers8–51521
171. 410Audie MurphyMilitary20–401521
172. 412John McCainStatesmen11–81521
173. 415Rita HayworthEntertainers8–71520
174. 417Alice WalkerWriters7–61520
175. 418Isaac AsimovWriters7–51520
176. 421CherMusicians8–81519
177. 422Yvon ChouinardMoguls10–71519
178. 425Dizzy GillespieMusicians10–71519
179. 426Doris MillerMilitary9–91518
180. 427Gene CernanAstronauts6–51518
181. 429George SteinbrennerMoguls10–81518
182. 430Orson WellesEntertainers10–81518
183. 431Judy GarlandEntertainers9–61518
184. 436Gladys KnightMusicians16–201517
185. 437Gregory PeckEntertainers9–71517
186. 438Arnold SchwarzeneggerEntertainers7–71517
187. 440J. Robert OppenheimerScientists10–111516
188. 441Roger StaubachAthletes7–51516
189. 443Chuck BerryMusicians7–51516
190. 444Dustin HoffmanEntertainers10–91515
191. 445Margaret HamiltonScientists10–81515
192. 449Janis JoplinMusicians8–61515
193. 454Desmond DossMilitary15–191514
194. 455Chevy ChaseEntertainers12–101514
195. 461Dick ClarkIcons7–61514
196. 462Ralph NaderActivists8–81514
197. 466Barry WhiteMusicians7–71512
198. 467John MaddenAthletes8–71512
199. 471Robert RedfordEntertainers12–101511
200. 472James Earl JonesEntertainers8–81511
201. 474Sam ElliottEntertainers6–61511
202. 477Alan AldaEntertainers12–121510
203. 479Lionel RichieMusicians5–41510
204. 480Carol BurnettEntertainers6–61510
205. 481Jane FondaIcons7–61510
206. 483Donna SummerMusicians15–111509
207. 487Richard NixonPresidents8–81508
208. 488Clark GableEntertainers7–71508
209. 489Henry WinklerEntertainers10–111507
210. 491Richard FeynmanScientists8–91507
211. 493John SteinbeckWriters6–51507
212. 497Don RicklesEntertainers12–131506
213. 499Hillary ClintonStatesmen7–71505
214. 501Little RichardMusicians9–91505
215. 502Billie Jean KingAthletes8–71504
216. 503Rupert MurdochMoguls6–61504
217. 504Bette MidlerMusicians6–61504
218. 510Larry KingIcons7–71503
219. 514Etta JamesMusicians10–81502
220. 516Meryl StreepEntertainers7–61502
221. 520Andy GriffithEntertainers5–51501
222. 525Gerald FordPresidents8–91500
223. 528Satchel PaigeAthletes6–61500
224. 529Danny GloverEntertainers11–121500
225. 532Katherine JohnsonScientists9–81499
226. 533Wernher von BraunScientists6–51499
227. 535Elizabeth TaylorEntertainers7–61498
228. 538Carl WeathersEntertainers6–81498
229. 539Billie HolidayMusicians9–81498
230. 542Bette DavisEntertainers7–71497
231. 543Ava GardnerEntertainers10–101497
232. 544Don ShulaAthletes5–71497
233. 545Gene WilderEntertainers10–91496
234. 550Carlos SantanaMusicians6–51495
235. 552Nancy PelosiStatesmen9–101495
236. 553Edward R. MurrowIcons5–61495
237. 554Martha StewartMoguls5–61495
238. 555Jim LovellAstronauts6–61494
239. 556Nat King ColeMusicians6–81494
240. 559Rocky MarcianoAthletes7–71494
241. 562Thelonious MonkMusicians11–111493
242. 564John ColtraneMusicians5–61493
243. 568Truman CapoteWriters5–71492
244. 569Ronald ReaganPresidents5–61492
245. 574Leonard BernsteinMusicians9–111491
246. 576Marsha P. JohnsonActivists5–61491
247. 578Tom SelleckEntertainers5–61491
248. 580Stan MusialAthletes6–61490
249. 581Curtis LeMayMilitary6–81490
250. 582Glenn CloseEntertainers8–101490
251. 587Gene KranzAstronauts6–91489
252. 589John WoodenAthletes7–71489
253. 590Ed SullivanIcons6–61489
254. 591Judge JudyIcons6–61488
255. 595Charles LindberghExplorers6–61488
256. 598Steven TylerMusicians9–101487
257. 601Anthony FauciScientists8–91487
258. 603James DeanEntertainers5–61486
259. 604Marlon BrandoEntertainers7–91486
260. 605Bob RossIcons8–101486
261. 606Sylvia PlathWriters7–71486
262. 608Tina TurnerMusicians5–71485
263. 610Gordon MooreScientists5–71484
264. 615James BrownMusicians8–81483
265. 616Gale SayersAthletes12–121483
266. 626Charles DrewScientists4–61482
267. 627Bob HopeEntertainers5–71482
268. 631Harry BelafonteEntertainers6–81481
269. 633Quincy JonesMusicians5–61481
270. 640Warren BuffettMoguls9–91480
271. 642Chien-Shiung WuScientists7–81480
272. 644Sylvester StalloneEntertainers5–61480
273. 645Gloria SteinemActivists5–71479
274. 647Donald TrumpPresidents5–61478
275. 649Gene KellyEntertainers6–81478
276. 651Woody GuthrieMusicians8–101478
277. 652Evel KnievelFolk Heroes6–71477
278. 665Arthur MillerWriters6–91475
279. 669Philo FarnsworthScientists9–121474
280. 671Cesar ChavezActivists7–101473
281. 674Dan RatherIcons5–81472
282. 675Jerry JonesMoguls6–81471
283. 679Christa McAuliffeAstronauts5–81471
284. 683Julia ChildIcons7–81470
285. 684Sam SneadAthletes4–71470
286. 685Ted TurnerMoguls6–91470
287. 686Andre the GiantAthletes8–111470
288. 688Stan LeeIcons4–61469
289. 691Ric FlairAthletes5–81468
290. 692Curtis MayfieldMusicians6–111468
291. 698Mary Tyler MooreEntertainers7–91467
292. 700Chuck YeagerMilitary8–101467
293. 703Sam WaltonMoguls5–91466
294. 705Kirk DouglasEntertainers16–231466
295. 706Tom ClancyWriters7–81465
296. 707Loretta LynnMusicians5–71465
297. 709Antonin ScaliaStatesmen4–81465
298. 710Philip K. DickWriters8–111465
299. 712Jackson PollockIcons6–91465
300. 713Burt ReynoldsEntertainers9–121464
301. 714Hunter S. ThompsonWriters4–71464
302. 720John GottiOutlaws5–81462
303. 722Charles BukowskiWriters6–81462
304. 723Bing CrosbyMusicians4–71461
305. 727Bob GibsonAthletes6–111460
306. 728Dick Van DykeEntertainers6–101460
307. 729Joan DidionWriters7–101460
308. 730George TakeiEntertainers6–101459
309. 733Dick CheneyStatesmen9–161459
310. 734Cormac McCarthyWriters4–81458
311. 738Larry EllisonMoguls4–91458
312. 740Howard HughesMoguls6–91458
313. 741Shel SilversteinWriters7–131457
314. 744Adam WestEntertainers4–71457
315. 745Dave ThomasMoguls6–91457
316. 746Edward James OlmosEntertainers4–81457
317. 753Vint CerfScientists4–81456
318. 754Mean Joe GreeneAthletes4–81456
319. 755John BelushiEntertainers6–91456
320. 756Smokey RobinsonMusicians6–111456
321. 757John WatersIcons8–121456
322. 758Susan SarandonEntertainers4–71455
323. 761Grace HopperScientists6–101455
324. 764Redd FoxxEntertainers3–71454
325. 767Gary CooperEntertainers5–81454
326. 768Grace KellyEntertainers6–91454
327. 769Terry BradshawAthletes6–91453
328. 771Josh GibsonAthletes4–71453
329. 772Sugar Ray RobinsonAthletes7–91452
330. 778Jerry SpringerIcons4–71451
331. 779Deke SlaytonAstronauts3–81451
332. 781Lucille BallEntertainers5–91450
333. 790Betty FriedanActivists8–121448
334. 791Gilda RadnerEntertainers6–91448
335. 793Virginia ApgarScientists4–81448
336. 796Charlton HestonEntertainers4–81447
337. 797Ina GartenIcons6–111447
338. 804Dick ButkusAthletes5–91446
339. 805Fannie Lou HamerActivists4–91445
340. 806Ray KrocMoguls5–101445
341. 807Nora EphronWriters4–111445
342. 809Debbie HarryMusicians27–351445
343. 810Temple GrandinScientists5–101444
344. 811Bayard RustinActivists3–81443
345. 814Linus PaulingScientists5–111441
346. 816Joseph HellerWriters7–111441
347. 817Jack KerouacWriters5–81441
348. 818Hyman G. RickoverMilitary4–91441
349. 819John von NeumannScientists7–121441
350. 823Whitey BulgerOutlaws4–81440
351. 834Norman SchwarzkopfMilitary6–121438
352. 836Charlie ParkerMusicians3–81437
353. 837Al GreenMusicians5–101437
354. 838Noam ChomskyWriters3–81437
355. 844Frank ZappaMusicians5–101436
356. 846Cheech MarinEntertainers4–91436
357. 849Kathy BatesEntertainers7–101436
358. 850Michael BloombergMoguls5–91435
359. 852Henry KissingerStatesmen9–151434
360. 853Gus GrissomAstronauts6–101434
361. 855Patti LaBelleMusicians5–121434
362. 856Annie LeibovitzIcons5–111434
363. 857Sammy Davis Jr.Entertainers4–91433
364. 858George H. W. BushPresidents3–91433
365. 861Pat RileyAthletes6–101433
366. 862Dennis RitchieScientists4–101432
367. 864Pete ConradAstronauts3–101432
368. 865Pam GrierEntertainers5–121432
369. 866Pete SeegerMusicians5–111432
370. 867John KerryStatesmen5–101432
371. 869Benny GoodmanMusicians4–101431
372. 870Jack WelchMoguls3–91431
373. 877Michael DouglasEntertainers5–111429
374. 878Merle HaggardMusicians4–91429
375. 879Barry GoldwaterStatesmen7–151429
376. 883Tennessee WilliamsWriters2–81427
377. 887Ginger RogersEntertainers4–111425
378. 891Norman MailerWriters3–101424
379. 893Steve FossettExplorers3–81424
380. 896Jack LemmonEntertainers3–91423
381. 897Goldie HawnEntertainers5–121423
382. 898Bob NewhartEntertainers4–101422
383. 900Norman BorlaugScientists5–111422
384. 901Lee IacoccaMoguls3–91422
385. 903Fred HaiseAstronauts3–101421
386. 904Bear BryantAthletes27–291421
387. 906Danny TrejoEntertainers5–131420
388. 907Andy KaufmanEntertainers8–151420
389. 909Jerry Lee LewisMusicians3–81420
390. 910Fred HamptonActivists5–121419
391. 911Billy GrahamActivists3–91419
392. 914Johnny UnitasAthletes4–91418
393. 917Chuck NorrisEntertainers14–241417
394. 918Bernie MadoffOutlaws7–141417
395. 919Bugsy SiegelOutlaws5–121416
396. 922Cary GrantEntertainers2–81415
397. 926Waylon JenningsMusicians3–101414
398. 927Dolores HuertaActivists3–101414
399. 930Richard WrightWriters5–141413
400. 932Ira HayesMilitary2–81413
401. 934William F. Buckley Jr.Writers2–81413
402. 935Henry FondaEntertainers5–121413
403. 936Meyer LanskyOutlaws5–111412
404. 938Hank WilliamsMusicians2–91412
405. 939Vince McMahonMoguls2–101411
406. 940Thomas PynchonWriters8–191411
407. 943Angela LansburyEntertainers2–91411
408. 948Gore VidalWriters4–131409
409. 950Hedy LamarrScientists5–161409
410. 951Allen GinsbergWriters6–151409
411. 952Sylvia EarleScientists10–181409
412. 953Ben HoganAthletes2–91408
413. 954Joe FrazierAthletes3–101408
414. 955Tom WolfeWriters4–101407
415. 958Enrico FermiScientists2–91406
416. 959Michio KakuScientists2–101406
417. 964Linda RonstadtMusicians5–141404
418. 967Charlie MungerMoguls2–101403
419. 968E. O. WilsonScientists4–131403
420. 971Patsy ClineMusicians3–101402
421. 972Aaron CoplandMusicians3–111401
422. 973Hugh HefnerMoguls6–181401
423. 974Dan GableAthletes2–91401
424. 975Sarah VaughanMusicians1–91401
425. 978Vera RubinScientists2–111399
426. 982Joan BaezMusicians1–91398
427. 985John DillingerOutlaws4–111396
428. 987Rachel CarsonScientists2–101396
429. 990Babe Didrikson ZahariasAthletes6–121395
430. 992June Carter CashMusicians15–331394
431. 994Mahalia JacksonMusicians4–131392
432. 999Glenn MillerMusicians6–161390
433. 1000Walter MatthauEntertainers3–121389
434. 1001Cicely TysonEntertainers1–101389
435. 1002James StewartEntertainers6–141389
436. 1003Kenny RogersMusicians23–511388
437. 1006Claude ShannonScientists4–131383
438. 1007Mitt RomneyStatesmen12–461383
439. 1008Spencer TracyEntertainers2–121381
440. 1013Pretty Boy FloydOutlaws3–111380
441. 1017Tom LandryAthletes3–151377
442. 1020John DeLoreanMoguls1–121375
443. 1029Ross PerotStatesmen0–111365
444. 1030Dennis HopperEntertainers2–121363
445. 1033Baby Face NelsonOutlaws1–131361
446. 1038Gene HackmanEntertainers11–471358
447. 1039Lauren BacallEntertainers1–121357
448. 1042Jerry LewisEntertainers4–161356
449. 1047Ursula K. Le GuinWriters2–151339
450. 1049Bob DoleStatesmen2–161336
451. 1050Carole KingMusicians3–171332
452. 1052Peter FalkEntertainers1–151327